The Danish F-16 fighters offered to Argentina could end up in Ukraine. Better chances for the JF-17 Thunder?
The U.S. had offered 32 Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) F-16 MLUs for the Argentine Air Force (FAA) to regain supersonic capability, however, following the Biden administration’s decision to support the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western fourth-generation fighters, it is likely that the Danish F-16s will end up being transferred to Ukraine. If not all of them, at least a substantial part of them.
During the delivery ceremony of a new Pampa III advanced trainer and the presentation of the IA-58 Pucará Fénix cockpit modernization that took place on May 18 at the FAdeA (Fabrica Argentina de Aviones) facilities, Brigadier General Xavier Isaac, head of the Argentine Air Force, commented to the journalists gathered there that he is in the final stages of negotiations with the US government for the possible incorporation of 32 Danish F-16 MLU multirole fighters.
The U.S. proposal competes with China’s offer of a dozen JF-17 Thunder Block 3 fighters to equip the FAA with supersonic fourth-generation multirole fighters. But Washington’s offer to Argentina for the Danish F-16s could suffer an unexpected setback.
During the G7 summit in Japan, Joe Biden reported that the U.S. will support international efforts for the establishment of a training program for Ukrainian pilots on Western fourth-generation fighters, with an eye on European F-16 combat jets.
The defense ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands welcomed U.S. support for the F-16 training program for Ukrainian pilots. These countries, together with the United Kingdom and Belgium, were the ones who pushed hardest for this resolution.
Positive with support to training of Ukranian F16 pilots. Denmark has been working for this together with close Allies. Denmark is ready to support this. We will with close Allies work on the details with priority. https://t.co/RUREBv2knh
— Forsvarsministeriet/Danish MoD (@Forsvarsmin) May 19, 2023
While the re-export of any U.S. weapons system must be approved by Washington, Biden’s change of stance is indicative that they would not oppose an eventual transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. And it is also clear that Denmark, along with several other European countries with F-16MLUs available for transfer, would prefer that they end up in the hands of Ukrainian pilots, rather than Argentinian ones.
The United States will have to modify its offer for second-hand F-16s to Argentina, perhaps putting its own Block 40s on the table, or leave the path open for the Chinese JF-17 Thunder.
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